[NEohioPAL] An unsolicited opinion- Cabaret

Wed Apr 12 08:31:59 PDT 2017

I did NOT want to see Cabaret at the Players Guild. Not because they don't put on great productions. Not because I don't like the show. Not because someone else said it was bad.

But because I saw the cast list.

I was so angry to see that my favorite role of all time in my favorite show of all time was being played by a woman. I was so angry. And I was so wrong.

I want to start with the rest of the show before I get there. I have never seen a show in the arena theater at Players Guild so I did not know what to expect of the space. IT. IS. INCREDIBLE. The space gives the director and design team an opportunity to include their audience in the action and that is exactly what Jon Tisevich and Micah Harvey have done. Harvey's set design is unique yet simple. With simple furniture and creative staging, Tisevich is able to create new settings without depending on wingspace for storage. The orchestra, led by music director Steve Parsons sounded flawless. Because I don't know where they were hidden, I almost would have thought they were pre-recorded.

The cast is small yet mighty. The Kit Kat boys and girls are attractive, yes, but they're also BEYOND talented. Particularly the girls, who are a collective unit in their choreography yet manage to let their individual characters shine through. Speaking of choreography-Wow! Again. WOW!!! Not only is Michael Lawrence Akers' choreography SUPER IMPRESSIVE, but it is executed flawlessly by this talented ensemble. Knowing they had a short rehearsal window makes this even more amazing.

Featured standout Ralph Cooley is charming and quite perfect as Herr Schultz. His chemistry with Wendy Schanz as Fraulein Schneider is lacking however as the duo are not evenly matched. Vocally, Schanz is good but did not deliver with her inconsistent accent and a few clearly flubbed lines. Jacob Sustersic is strong as Ludwig, tackling the difficult dynamic of an often underplayed role. As Fraulein Kost, Brittany Racano is not to be overlooked. Her voice is lovely and almost sweet in "Married" and raw and a little menacing in "Tomorrow Belongs to Me". This severe triple (quadruple?) threat even plays the accordion in the Act 1 finale. Truly a standout.

As Cliff, Matthew Heppe is young for the role. Not necessarily in age, but in mood. His optimistic approach to the character at the beginning of the show works brilliantly but the darker dynamic required as the show progresses is not as strong, which makes for an uneven character balance. Similarly, Sarah Marie Young gives 200% to Sally Bowles yet doesn't win my heart. Her lovely singing voice is gone and instead she seems to focus too hard on being this raw, broken woman with no sincerity. This in no way takes away from her absolute dedication to the role and she deserves the highest praise for her wonderful work in this production.

And now to Olivia Wimberly as the Emcee. The show belongs to her. This is not a light role. Not an easy task. And Wimberly is as good as and in many cases, better than some of the very talented men I have seen play this role. The word "good" is lazy because I cannot find a word to describe my reaction to her exceptional performance. She is funny. She is playful. She is mischievous. She is sincere. She stole my heart five seconds into the show. In case you may think it can't be that impressive, it must also be mentioned that she SINGS this music in the original keys-which was written for a man. THANK YOU Mr. Tisevich and your team for taking this risk. THANK YOU Olivia for bringing beautiful life to such an amazing character.

GO SEE THIS. I think it's mostly sold out. Find a way to see this. This runs until April 15th.

Melissa Miller

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